Birmingham Zoo Welcomes New African Lion from San Antonio Zoo! – June 9th, 2022

Birmingham Zoo is thrilled to announce the newest addition to our Zoo family, a young male African lion. Age 6, Josh came to us from the San Antonio Zoo, also accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The Birmingham Zoo joins the AZA and other zoos around the world in the African lion SAFE program and maintaining Species Survival Plan ® (SSP) programs for cooperative breeding and conservation initiatives.

According to Scott Kayser, Zoo Manager of Predators, “The Animal Care Professionals that work with Josh have done a great job of acclimating him to his new home here at the Birmingham Zoo. While Josh was a bit shy at first, he’s proven to be very resilient and has quickly warmed up to his keepers. We are all excited for everyone to meet him.”

Moving to a new zoo can be a big adjustment for an animal and the Zoo team does a great deal of planning to make that transition as smooth as possible. This process started last year after the death of longtime resident male lion Kwanza. “Lions are social cats so we knew that our female, Akili, would need a companion,” says Hollie Colahan, Vice President of Living Collections at Birmingham Zoo. “As part of the SSP and discussions with the San Antonio Zoo in Texas, Josh was recommended as a great new addition to our Trails of Africa habitat. As with all animal moves, we shared records and discussed his medical history, as well as details like his personality and favorite snacks.”

After his exam, clean bill of health and settling in at the Animal Health Center as part of the routine quarantine procedure for new animals that come to the Zoo, Josh is now in his habitat and adjusting quickly. “Soon we will begin introductions to Akili. Starting as a visual process through mesh panels, once we see that they are comfortable seeing and sniffing each other through the mesh, we will open the door for a full introduction,” Colahan says.

View Birmingham Zoo Announces new African Lion from San Antonio Zoo! Press release HERE